An empirical study on key factors affecting user engagement in a gamified team building environment

Abstract

This paper presents a study on data retrieved from a gamified team building application, which promotes employees’ joint sport activities. The aim of this work is to identify and evaluate behavior usage patterns, and user engagement indicators based on interaction data gained from the application and to determine key factors affecting engagement levels. In order to determine behavioral patterns, users have been tested for system use, for participation at events and competitions, and for having tendency in social interactions. The study classified three typologies of engaged users: the Achievers who are motivated by the reward of achieving long-term goals, the Socializers who enjoy interacting with others and the Conquerors who like struggling until they eventually achieve victory by defeating others. We were also able to reveal additional influencing factors beyond personal behavior patterns like the corporate culture and the importance of the ‘organizers’.